Fear Forecast

Fear Factor: 4 / 5 (Chilling)

Amy (Age 7)

Harry (Age 9)

Samuel (Age 11)

Adam (Age 15)

How scary is Doctor Who? Our brave Fear Forecasters present a minute-by-minute guide to The Unicorn And The Wasp.

0 min

The Man in the Brown Suit: The Doctor sniffs the air as he arrives. Harry's impressed that he can tell the year with one sniff! Adam loves the vintage car: "It's Mr Toad!" Samuel is more of a Top Gear enthusiast.

The Unexpected Guests: Harry's confused as to why Donna would want a 'sidecar'. The family and guests are introduced. "What a grumpy butler," says Adam. The boys love it when the Doctor stops Donna faking her posh accent. The kids are briefly excited about seeing a unicorn... and a little disappointed to learn that it's a person.

All the kids laugh as the Doctor and Donna declare they're "not a couple" yet again. Lady Eddison loves all six of Agatha's books. "Didn't she write more than that?" asks Samuel.

6 min

"Wooooh!" says Samuel as the Doctor explains a mystery. The kids concentrate as the story of Agatha's disappearance is told. "That paper's got no picture!" spots eagle-eyed Amy. Then... A Murder is Announced!

7 min

The Body in the Library: Agatha finds a clue. "What is it?" asks Amy. Dad shrugs.

8 min

The Double Clue: Smith of the Yard! The Doctor's found a second clue. Amy wrinkles her nose as 'Smith' removes the slimy morphic residue. "Eww!" agrees Samuel as the Doctor tests it on his tongue.

9 min

Donna's comment about Charles Dickens makes the boys hoot with laughter. Everybody laughs when the Doctor has to reassure Donna that there's no Noddy! "Not yet," says Adam.

The Unbreakable Alibi: Amy looks puzzled as the screen goes all wibbly-wobbly for the first time as the Reverend remembers. "We're seeing it!" laughs Samuel in delight. Then: "He's lying!" shouts Harry as Roger claims to have been alone, "and she's got a gun!" he continues, pointing accusingly at Miss Redmond.

11 min

The House of Dreams: Amy and Harry are bemused at the Colonel's "wartime memories". Mum and Dad laugh. Adam and Samuel think that the flashback-in-the-flashback is hilarious. "They're all lying!" decides Samuel. "Except the Vicar," notes Adam, "he was just hanging up his clothes in the wardrobe." "Funny you should notice that," Mum says to him.

12 min

The Four Suspects: "Those two men are suspicious," decides Samuel. "And there are two women suspects," decides Harry, "the one with gun and the burpy one." "She certainly wasn't drinking tea," observes Adam. "She needs a Black Coffee," suggests Dad.

13 min

Amy's wary as Donna asks for the locked door to be opened... Samuel has his suspicions already: "The butler did it!"

14 min

Curtain: what's behind it? The kids hear the buzzing and prepare themselves for the worst...

15 min

Wasp's Nest: "A giant bee!" yells Harry. "Wasp!" corrects Adam. "Bee!" insists Samuel. The boys are delighted by Donna's antics with the magnifying glass. Amy's wide-eyed and silent... and jumps as the sting penetrates the door! "Cooool!" decides Samuel, who is much more relaxed now that the giant insect has gone. And completely relaxed once the Doctor starts cracking lame puns: "Buzzed off" makes everyone groan.

16 min

The Lonely God: Agatha thinks the Doctor is "completely potty". Adam and Samuel nod in agreement.

16 min

The servants are talking in the kitchen. "That man is familiar!" says Harry, pointing at the young butler. Adam points at the plump cook, Mrs Hart: "She could fit a giant wasp in there." He checks for Mum's reaction. "Was that a bit rude?" he asks. "Never trust a thin cook," Mum tells him.

17 min

Dead Man's Folly: Mrs Chandrakala is dismissive of Professor Peach's investigations, but has a sudden idea. "Where's she off to?" asks Adam.

The Blood-Stained Pavement: Mrs Chandrakala utters her dying words in the driveway. "Why didn't she just move?" wails Amy.

18 min

The Call of Wings: The kids love them chasing the wasp! Donna scares it with the magnifying glass, and everyone laughs. But who is the wasp? It could be anyone! When the footman peers out from the bedroom, the whole family laugh.

19 min

Cards on the Table: Agatha is asked her opinion. What would Poirot do? "Who's Poirot?" asks Harry.

20 min

The Love Detectives: Donna talks to Agatha in the gardens. Amy frowns when Agatha claims to be unfamiliar with "talking pictures". Donna sympathises about Agatha's husband, and recalls the Giant Spider that took her bloke - which makes everybody laugh.

21 min

There's a box in the flowerbed! Harry has also now decided that the butler did it.

Butter in a Lordly Dish: Everyone sits down to dinner. Harry eyes the suspects thoughtfully. "Piperine... is that a real thing?" asks Adam. "What are they teaching kids in Food Technology these says?" ponders Dad.

25 min

While the Light Lasts: the Doctor sets out his plan. But suddenly it goes dark! Amy's getting worried. Then the wasp attacks! Out in the corridor, the Doctor meets up with Donna and Agatha and...
"Oh," says Samuel, disappointed. "The butler didn't do it!" He grins when Donna says exactly the same!

26 min

The Theft of the Royal Ruby: The lights finally come back on... The Firestone jewel is gone! And worse, Roger's been stabbed and his face is in the soup! The kids are appalled... and moved by the grief of the footman and her Ladyship.

27 min

Endless Night: Agatha begins to explain what's been going on during this Endless Night. Amy and Harry concentrate hard in order to follow the story.

28 min

Crooked House: Agatha confront Miss Redmond as a thief! Agatha spotted she'd used the word "toilet". Donna suggests it should have been "loo". "Lavatory!" shouts Adam, and he and Samuel try to think of some more words for it.

29 min

The Actress: Miss Redmond confesses that she is the Unicorn! "I thought it was her!" says a delighted Harry. "She said 'bleeding'," tuts Samuel, evidently very pleased to have the excuse to repeat it.

30 min

Ordeal by Innocence: Everyone is amazed as the Colonel reveals his secret! Then everyone is amused as the Colonel sits down again!

31 min

Personal Call: Lady Edison was pregnant! No-one saw that coming! The family look on in amazement.

32 min

Taken by the Flood: Memories of Delhi, but Samuel's suspicious: "That woman looks nothing like her!" he mutters. The kids shiver to see Christopher turn into the Vespiform, and to hear how he drowned in the Great Monsoon.

33 min

Mum and Dad snigger at the reference to the family jewels, and the kids study their parents curiously.

34 min

The Moving Finger: Gasps of astonishment from the family as the Doctor point the finger at Donna... and then at Agatha! "He's getting it all wrong!" says Samuel. And then at Lady Eddison! That's put the cat among the pigeons. Lady Eddison recalls the previous Thursday, when she was reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd...

35 min

Sanctuary: Reverend Golightly remembers the incident at the church. "It's very bright for night time," says Samuel. "Moonlight," suggests Adam. And then, with horror, the kids realise that the Reverend is the wasp! "Those boys should have robbed somewhere easier, like a bank," says Adam. But there's another shock - the Reverend is Lady Eddison's child!

36 min

Golightly starts to buzz, and the kids all look fearful... The jewel's secret is revealed...

37 min

They Do It with Mirrors: The Doctor calls her "Dame Agatha", and the parents laugh.The kids laugh too: "Nice hat!" laughs Samuel. The fancy mirror behind the Doctor's head makes him look like he's got a great big hat on.

37 min

To the consternation of the kids, the vicar starts to buzz even more... "Don't make me angry," snaps the Vicar. "Like the Hulk," suggests Samuel. "He'll go all green." But he's going purple because...

38 min

Nemesis: It's the Vespiform! And it's not happy! It's crawling over the sofa! Amy prepares to leap off her own sofa in case things get too scary...

39 min

Destination Unknown: It's getting really exciting now! There's a car chase! "Hey, the Doctor used to have a car like that!" remembers Samuel, who has been watching some classic episodes on DVD.

39 min

The Voice in the Dark: Agatha's "the honey in the trap," and challenges the Vespiform by the moonlit lake! The kids sit on the edge of their seats.

39 min

Death Comes as the End: Donna throws the jewel, and the Vespiform plunges into the lake after it. "Wasps can't swim!" says Adam.

40 min

Murder at the Vicarage: Well, almost. The kids sink back into their seats in relief.

41 min

Dumb Witness: Agatha's disappearance is explained. She stares silently at the Doctor and Donna. Adam and Samuel wave her goodbye at the hotel.

42 min

Have You Got Everything You Want?: The Doctor rummages under the floor, and the whole family cheer as he finds the Carrionites in his chest!

43 min

Death in the Clouds: "Wow, did Agatha Christie really write a book about a giant wasp?" asks Harry. "And is that a real book?" asks Samuel. "Not if it was published in the year Five Billion!"

44 min

Destination Unknown: The kids bounce on the sofa excitedly in anticipation of next week's adventure.

BBC links

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.